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Jennifer Lawrence shows that women can be legitimate action stars.

As most people expected, The Hunger Games was a monster at the box office this weekend. The film earned $155 million, the third highest opening of all time behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and The Dark Knight. According to Lionsgate the film got a A Cinemascore from audiences which means people loved it and will likely head back to the theater to see it more than once.

As a woman who watches what goes on in Hollywood, I've often lamented the state of affairs for women in this town. Women still earn less than men and films with women are derided as chick flicks even when they makes huge profits like Mamma Mia and Bridesmaids.

But watching The Hunger Games got me thinking that there are some bright spots for women in Hollywood. Not when it comes to directing (watch this video for some stark examples of how overlooked women directors are) but in other ways.

Women are now legitimate action heroes.

In 2009 when Angelina Jolie stepped in for Tom Cruise to star in the movie Salt, it was a big deal. Jolie was considered the only woman who could lead an action movie thanks to films like Tomb Raider and Wanted. But she was an outlier.

No one who has seen The Hunger Games would question star Jennifer Lawrence's ability to play an action star. In the middle of the arena, where children are fighting to the death, Kantiss is the smartest and toughest competitor, not because she's the strongest but because she's a skilled hunter who can shoot an opponent in the hand if she wants to.

A film with a female action star is now the third highest-opening film of all time. While Hollywood rarely cares about things like equality, the town does care about making money. If The Hunger Games shows that viewers will pack the theaters to see a woman kick butt, there's a good chance we could see more female-driven action movies.

Snow White and the Huntsman has twice the female action stars.

Universal is using the hype around The Hunger Games to promote its big summer film Snow White and the Huntsman. When I went to see The Hunger Games this weekend a long trailer for Snow White was tacked onto the beginning. The massive audience was buzzing with excitement during the preview.

As you can tell from the marketing, Snow White is a major action movie. Expect lots of sword fighting and killing. But what's unique about the film is that it stars two women in the serious action roles. Charlize Theron plays the villainous queen and Kristen Stewart plays the warrior Snow White. The film is one of the most anticipated of the year and will likely do well at the box office this summer.